A convicted rapist and murderer in Belgium who has been imprisoned for almost three decades has been granted the right to die after doctors agreed his psychological condition was incurable.
Belgium's justice minister approved Frank van den Bleeken's transfer to a hospital where doctors will end his life, an official said.
The convict's lawyer, Jos Vander Velpen, told Belgian television on Monday that his client was "suffering unbearably".
Belgium has allowed euthanasia since 2002 in cases where patients' physical or psychological suffering is incurable and constant. Around 1,400 people a year choose the option.
(Published by The Guardians - September 17, 2014)